1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a recording medium and having a function of binding a plurality of recording medium sheets on which images are recorded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sorting units for use in recording apparatuses which sort sheets of recording paper on which image data of the documents is recorded are known. Such sorting units include sorters which have a plurality of bins and in which a complete copy of each multi,page document is placed in some of the bins, and a discharge tray unit in which a tray on which recording sheets are placed is slid with respect to each document. However, a sorter having a plurality of bins is large, requires a large mounting space and is expensive. In the case of a sliding type discharge tray, there is a possibility of a person other than the operator inadvertently touching and moving the tray so that the sorted positions cannot be discriminated, and also the possibility of the result of sorting being disarranged by an environmental cause.
By considering these problems, an apparatus such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,366, has been proposed in which recording sheets discharged from a copying machine are stapled with respect to one document. A facsimile machine such as the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication 62-38656 also has been proposed in which received images are recorded on a lengthwise recording sheet, the recording sheet is cut in a length corresponding to one page, and cut recording sheets obtained on communication process are stapled together.
In these proposed apparatuses, however, the same operation is continued even after staples have been used up, so that recording sheets are discharged without being stapled. Sorting with respect to documents cannot be effected if there is no staple. There is also a problem of occurrence of stapling failure if the number of recording sheets in each document to be stapled is increased. Also, while recording sheets can be sorted with respect to documents, it is not possible to discriminate between documents by the content of each document (e.g., recording sheets obtained as confidential reception output, recording sheets assigned to a particular department). Further, since the stapler is mounted in a fixed position, recording sheets may be stapled at an unsuitable position, such that the staple must be manually removed, if the orientation of recorded images is changed.